Mancomb

Nice to see people out there willing to help; I'm trying to get some friends together to do the same thing.

Very succinct; never considered that; but then, that's probably because the few friends I have that play DayZ have never thought (or at least, decided) to do that to me, nor I to them. But it makes complete sense. Unless said friend didn't have a gun. Maybe it was a zombie soldier still carrying his weapon, like in Resident Evil 6.

I think the point he was trying to make was that there was nobody else on the server (according to the player list) when he died, besides him and his friend, so he can't figure out who killed him, because there was supposedly nobody else around. And there's no need to be a dick to the guy; he was simply explaining an experience he had that didn't make sense to him. Just because you don't like his playing style doesn't mean you have to be such a chode to him, at least not on the forums; be a "real man" and hop on the server with him and KoS him when you find him. That should illustrate your point rather well.

In a survival situation, yes, there are bound to be at least a few people who KoS, though most of them would probably do it either A.) to take someone else's stuff, or B.) to make sure someone else doesn't take their stuff. It only makes sense. However, in the early stages of the DayZ SA, there still isn't very much else for people to do besides kill others, so I'm sure that many people that do it currently do it mainly to keep it interesting, because otherwise all there is to do is run around (literally) and collect stuff, or RP in some way (trying to help others, RPing some sort of character, etc.). I think that, once the game evolves more and there's more to do (hunt, cook, drive vehicles, build camps/structures, etc.), the number of people that KoS will drop, at least a little, because there will be more to keep people occupied, besides shooting the first person they see. As it is, the game can get rather boring rather quickly, so I think we just need to wait. Yes, it will always be human nature to some degree, but when there are other options, it won't be quite as rampant.

So, in my 83 hours played, I've had to worry very little about zombies, even when they aggro in groups from 3 miles away; as long as I have a melee weapon (preferably a fire axe), I'm relatively safe from them. Bandits, on the other hand, I tend to die to as soon as I see them. Of course, this is mainly due to the fact that they have guns and DO NOT have any remorse. I know that the game is still in early alpha, and is still evolving, but it seems very odd to me that, in a game built around surviving a zombie apocalypse, one has to actually survive against other players, and not the zombies. I'm really hoping that there eventually be some sort of deterrent to running around blowing away every person you see.

I agree with pretty much everything; I also try not to KoS, but, as you said, many people turn to it simply to defend themselves preemptively. I've only done it once (and I don't think the person I shot was necessarily a bandit OR KoSer), but the only reason was because I had been killed at least half a dozen times in 2 days, and was tired of people always managing to get the drop on me and not attempting to communicate, so I got fed up and joined a hi-pop server with the sole intention of shooting someone first. Granted, my goal as actually to try to find a bandit (or KoSer) camping out on Sniper Hill overlooking Electro, and ambush them, but when I didn't find anyone there, I waited to see if anyone would run by. Eventually, someone did, and I tried to ambush them. Unfortunately, they weren't alone, so I died after taking them down, and I'm not certain as to whether or not I actually killed them. Not that it matters, because I was satisfied simply to have dropped someone before they could drop me, and since then I've gone back to exploring, and even a bit of RPing (I currently have a character that has nothing but work gloves and a pipe wrench, and am running around Electro looking for people to ask if they have any plumbing that needs fixing). After reading through some posts here on the forums that basically say that nobody should get attached to their character or gear, and just to have fun with it in the state it's in, I've tried to do just that. Once the game progresses further (perhaps beta), and they've added more mechanics (hunting, cooking, camping, etc.) and gear (better weapons, thermal scopes, rangefinders, vehicles, etc.), I think we'll see a shift in how people play the game; as it is now, all there really is to do is gear up and kill other people (or help them), so that's what the majority of people end up doing.

Are you addressing me? Because I honestly don't see what I posted as "whining"; simply contributing to the conversation, something you apparently have difficulty doing. Well, basically, the reply that was already made to this pretty much sums up my thoughts: Just because a server claims to have a "No KoS" or "No Bandits" rules doesn't mean it won't happen on that server; though, I don't really get why those rules wouldn't be allowed, considering that the servers are likely being paid for and hosted by 3rd parties. Shouldn't someone have the ability to place any restrictions they want (within reason) on a server that THEY are paying for and running? That's how most other game servers work. I think it would be a bit ridiculous for the developer or publisher to come in and say that someone can't run THEIR server the way THEY want to.

Well, most of the time they get the drop on me when I'm in a building scouting for loot, because I can't hear them approaching (either I can't hear footsteps for some reason, or they're masked by all of the rather loud ambient noise). And if you don't announce yourself as friendly, then someone who might otherwise not shoot you most likely will (though, based on my experience, they might even claim to be friendly themselves and still shoot you). I'm sure there are people out there that wouldn't kill someone claiming to be friendly, at least not right away. Of course, if you're running straight at them, especially with a weapon drawn, it probably won't matter WHAT you say, they'll most likely see you as a threat and drop you. That's why you try to stay out of sight while announcing that you're friendly, or, if you can't, try to show it by lowering your weapon (some might say put it away, but that's really just an invitation for them to shoot you since you're not prepared to defend yourself).

Well, I have yet to encounter a single "true" bandit, so for now I'm considering anyone who kills me a bandit, regardless of whether or not they try to take my stuff (which they probably can't most times because it's likely ruined from them filling me full of holes).

In my 83 hours I have... Spent an hour looking for gear 83x Been killed on sight shortly after finding something I'd been searching for for hours 90+x Been shot in the head by a "friendly" while giving them food 1x Been able to react and fire back at someone shooting at me 0x Heard the footsteps of someone approaching me 0x (I don't think you hear the footsteps of others yet) Encountered someone who didn't kill me on sight 1x Encountered someone who DID kill me on sight 100+x Gotten revenge for my numerous deaths at the hands of Bandits/Twitchy Heros by killing a possible Bandit/Hero 1x Bled out and fell unconscious while in the middle of bandaging 2x Been attacked by zombies that aggroed from 3 miles away 20x

My friends and I actually came up with a great plan: move around on low-pop servers as a group to loot and gear up, and once we have everything we need, head back to the spawning grounds or high-traffic areas, hop onto a higher-pop server and set up our own trap for Bandits. If we encounter a Bambi, we give them a few essentials (food, ammo, etc.) and send them on their way. If we encounter Bandits, one of us pretends to be a Bambi (have nothing except a piece of clothing that will hold a sawed-off shotgun and some shells) while the others take up hidden positions watching the fake Bambi, and wait to see what the Bandit(s) do; if they attempt to rob or kill the Bambi, the hidden members open fire on the Bandits. If the fake Bambi is still alive when the shooting starts, they take out their sawed-off shotgun and start blasting away. Chances are, the way Bandits act in the game right now, that the fake Bambi will most likely die, but at least it won't be in vain. I do hope, though, that eventually there won't be as many Bandits, and the Bandits that are there will be more interesting than simply KoS. I think that this will happen as the game evolves, though, since KoS will get old for most people, especially to those who get KoS themselves after doing it to someone else. (I always keep that thought in the back of my mind when I die, that the person who killed me will eventually die to someone else.) If everyone just keeps on KoS, the game will get boring fast, because it will be the same process repeated over and over for them: gear up, kill people, take their gear, get shot, die, respawn, rinse and repeat. I doubt that many people will justify the money spent on the game by continuing to do something that bores them; they'll want to keep it interesting, and constantly KoS isn't very interesting after a while.

I've had several encounters with Bandits thus far, most of them resulting in my death. Today I was happy though, because, even though I got dropped (I think by a Hero) on my regular character, I jumped onto my hardcore character that was sitting in Cherno and said "fuck it; it's MY turn to kill someone". So I ran through the woods to Electro, and up to Sniper Hill, where I was hoping to come across a Bandit trying to snipe people in the town. I didn't find one, but, after a few minutes, I saw someone running up the hill in my direction with their gun out. I think they saw me, because they started running back and forth; I stayed still and waited for them to emerge. Suddenly, I saw him pop out from behind a tree about 50 feet ahead of me, so I waited, and when he popped out again, I started shooting. He took cover a few times, and each time he popped out I shot him again, until he fell to the ground. Just then I saw another person, presumably his buddy, so I tried to change position since I figured he would try to flank me. That's when I was dropped from behind. In hindsight, I think there might have been 3 of them, and they might have been Friendlies, in which case I would feel bad for shooting one of them. But then, the last time I trusted someone who said they were friendly, I was shot in the head while dropping food for him. So I learned not to trust anyone I encounter. I did feel good, however, since I had finally managed to bring someone else down after dying to Bandits at least a couple dozen times. The moral of the story is, as plenty of people have already stated: don't trust anyone, even if they claim to be friendly; keep your weapon trained on them at all times, and be ready to shoot them at the slightest twitch. I probably won't play again until my friends are able to join me again, but my plan in either case is to keep my weapon trained on the head of anyone I come across, and tell them to put their hands in the air and drop all their gear onto the ground; if they comply, then they live and I help them if they need it. If they refuse or hesitate, they die. Simple as that. I give them the option to live, and they either take it or don't.